Newsline

The White House corporate tax reform proposal unveiled by President Barack Obama in Chattanooga, Tenn., is no ‘grand bargain,’ said ABC. Obama’s plan consists of the same corporate tax cuts proposed last year paired with new stimulus spending for infrastructure and manufacturing paid for with one-time tax revenue.

The U.S. Senate voted July 30 in favor of five presidential nominees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). They included new members Nancy Schiffer (D) and Kent Hirozawa (D), as well as NLRB Chairman Mark Pearce (D), who was reconfirmed. Two Republicans, Harry Johnson III (R), Philip Miscimarra (R), were also confirmed by voice vote. 

After Thomas E. Perez was sworn in as the new Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL) July 23, ABC sent a letter congratulating him on his confirmation and asking him to consider ABC’s concerns regarding DOL initiatives. 

The U.S. House of Representatives July 25 passed in a bipartisan vote of 265-155 to pass the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act (H.R. 2218), which would establish a baseline for coal combustion residuals (CCR) disposal while maximizing flexibility for individual states. 

Congress is going on recess. And ABC members have a valuable opportunity to meet with legislators, develop a genuine rapport and communicate the critical issues facing the construction industry. To help members take make the most of the recess, ABC has put together a 2013 Congressional Recess Grassroots Toolkit.

The Construction Users Roundtable will be holding their Fall Skilled Workforce Summit Sept. 11 in Naples, Fla. Learn more andregister on CURT’s website.

ABC members are invited to join a free ConsensusDocs webinar August 20 led by two industry attorneys who will use the ConsensusDocs Teaming Agreement to guide you through the critical terms and conditions that should be included in every teaming agreement. The webinar will also cover issues that should be considered on a team-by-team and project-by-project basis. Register here.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit agreed with two other courts July 17 by ruling the president violated the Constitution when he bypassed the U.S. Senate to make recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). 

As part of a the Coalition for Fair Effective Tax Rates, ABC will be advocating for the use of effective tax rates—or the percentage of income businesses pay in taxes—as the clearest way to judge the impact of tax reform on businesses as Congress tackles this issue. 

According to OSHA’s latest semiannual regulatory agenda, released July 3, the agency plans to issue two new proposals related to recordkeeping and cranes and derricks in construction. The regulatory agenda lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release this year; however, OSHA is not required to adhere to the timeline.

The EPA continues to move forward with a potential rulemaking that would expand the existing Lead Paint Renovation and Repair and Painting rule to include public and commercial buildings. The proposed rulemaking, which likely would regulate renovation, repair and painting activities on and in public and commercial buildings to address possible lead-based paint hazards, is listed on EPA’s regulatory agenda for July 2015.

On July 12, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued revised guidance under the hours of service (HOS) rules for how commercial drivers should record and take breaks.

The DOL announced in its July 3 regulatory agenda that it will be indefinitely suspending previous wage calculation methods for H-2B temporary worker visas – which have been blocked both in federal courts and on Capitol Hill – and moving forward with its “emergency” interim final rule issued in April in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security. The interim final rule became effective April 24, when it was issued.

ABC July 17 celebrated a victory after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) signed a bill (H.B.110) into law that will prohibit state government entities from requiring contractors to sign a project labor agreement (PLA), or any other agreement with labor unions, as a condition of performing work on public construction projects.

ABC July 17 announced  it is relocating its national office from Arlington, Va. to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. ABC signed an 11-year lease with First Potomac Realty Trust for 19,830 square feet of office space at 440 First Street, NW. 

As part of a deal to avert a “nuclear option” to end filibuster rules in the U.S. Senate, the nominations of Richard Griffin and Sharon Block to the NLRB were withdrawn. Griffin and Block were two of the members illegally recess appointed to the board by President Obama in 2012. They were renominated by the president in February. 

The IRS July 11 released guidance on the one-year delay of the employer shared responsibility provisions (or employer mandate) and information reporting requirements in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The delay was originally announced July 2 by the Treasury Department in a blog post. 

The DOL on July 3 released its spring regulatory agenda outlining the activities of its sub-agencies for the remainder of 2013, including OSHA. The regulatory agenda lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release this year; however, OSHA is not required to adhere to the timeline. 

Missouri House Bill 34, which became law on July 15, changes the way prevailing wage rates are determined in the state by taking into consideration both union and nonunion wages and allowing the rates to be calculated by county.

The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) has issued surveys requesting information on the potential use of a project labor agreement (PLA) on two projects to repair facades at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., one for repairs at Rickover Hall and on for repairs at Nimitz Library.

OSHA has begun its annual national outreach initiative to educate workers and employers about the hazards of heat illness. The campaign includes educational materials on heat illness in English and Spanish, resources for conducting training in the workplace and an app for mobile devices.

LEED v4 has been approved by a vote of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) members and will be launched during the Greenbuild conference in November 2013. 

OSHA has officially withdrawn a proposed rule that would have changed how the agency operated its On-site Consultation Program for worksites, including those that have Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program status. The agency withdrew the rule after reviewing comments, including those submitted by ABC and the Coalition for Workplace Safety. 

The Department of Labor (DOL) on July 3 released its spring regulatory agenda outlining the regulatory activities of its sub-agencies for the remainder of 2013. The regulatory agenda lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemaking they expect to release this year; however, DOL is not required to adhere to the timeline.

ABC July 2 submitted comments to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) expressing disappointment in a proposed rule that would implement provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) related to the minimum value of eligible employer-sponsored plans and the health insurance premium tax credit.